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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 11 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired to a 10-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 22 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired to a 10-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 33 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 44 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 55 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 66 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 77 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 88 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 99 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 1010 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 1111 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 1212 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

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2018 Ford Expedition Photo 1313 of 14Under the hood of the 2018 Ford Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque and it’s paired to a ten-speed automatic.

2018 Ford Expedition first drive: Two sizes, three rows, all families

Ford goes big and expensive with its new full-size SUV

November 8, 2017

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The first Ford Expeditions rolled off the Michigan Truck Plant assembly line in 1997. Ravenous SUV customers snapped up more than 214,000 of them that first year. That’s a staggering number in today’s much smaller full-size SUV market. The Expedition was progressive both in terms of its design and its efficient modular Triton V8 powertrains -- a leap forward compared to the old Bronco. And those advances helped the Expedition outsell the Chevrolet Tahoe that year by almost 100,000 trucks.

Fast forward 20 years later and the sales leadership now belongs to Chevrolet. Of the seven full-size body-on-frame vehicles that make up this non-luxury class of roughly 340,000 vehicles, only Chevy moved more than 100,000 of them last year. The outgoing Expedition, of which Ford sold fewer than 60,000 last year, has been very slow to evolve. The company’s largest SUV was clearly ready for a remake, and a new one is finally here.

The handsome new Expedition follows the trend set by the Ford F-150. The greasy bits beneath are hidden by aluminum bodywork. Ford says the move saves around 300 pounds over steel. However, much of that weight loss has been baked back into the truck in the form of noise and vibration silencers like structural adhesives, foams and pads. The 2018 Expedition has something like 10 times the sealant that’s found in the old one. So it promises to be far quieter on the road.

Beneath the metal is an upgraded version of the fully boxed frame used in the F-150. How improved is the chassis rigidity? Engineer Alex Long says their modeling showed that in order to match the stiffness of the new Expedition, you’d have to bolt in a giant roll-cage-like X brace across the cargo opening of the old one. So that makes the new one a lot stiffer.

Peek underneath the front of the truck and you’ll find the F-150’s independent front suspension. And in the rear, the team used an independent suspension similar in design to the outgoing model. Like before, the half-shafts pass through holes in the frame rails to keep the system compact. In a class where most trucks still use a solid rear axle, this design allows for a lower floor.

There are two sizes of Expedition to choose from. The shorter one rides on a 122.5-inch wheelbase and the Expedition Max sits on a chassis with a 131.6-inch wheelbase. Both are longer than the outgoing models, which contributes to 104.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row of Expedition and an enormous 121.4 cubic feet behind the front seats of the Expedition Max. The extra few inches of added wheelbase in both models means legroom is more than 40 inches in all three rows. That’s impressive.

Under the hood of the Expedition XLT and Limited is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 now rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and it’s paired to a 10-speed automatic. The top Platinum trim receives even more -- a 400-hp and 480-lb-ft of torque version of this engine. That’s 45 more hp and a whopping 97 lb-ft more torque than the Tahoe. It’s not only more potent, but it delivers better fuel economy, too, with four-wheel-drive Expeditions hitting 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. That’s an improvement of 2 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway, no easy task for a nearly three-ton SUV.

The Expedition is available in two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive with a low range-equipped transfer case. That last one comes bundled in the $1,570 heavy-duty tow package which includes additional coolers as well as Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist system. Speaking of towing, four-wheel-drive Expeditions can handle a 9,200-pound trailer, which is more than any in the segment.

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For the first time, Ford now offers an FX4 off-road package in the XLT-trim Expedition. For $1,650, you get specifically tuned dampers from Hitachi, skid plates, a heavy-duty radiator, 18-inch all-terrain tires and an electronic limited-slip rear differential with 3.73:1 gears and a fully-locking function. The Expedition comes with a terrain management system that, in the FX4, has seven modes (normal, sport, tow/haul, eco, grass/gravel/snow, sand and mud/ruts). Ford offers selectable adaptive dampers that are tied into this terrain management system as an option on Limited models and standard on the Platinum trim.

The level of technology available on the new Expedition rivals that of its cousin, the Lincoln Navigator. The top Platinum models can be outfitted with heated and cooled multi-contour leather seats, Sync 3, inductive phone charging, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist and, for the kiddos, there’s a dual headrest mounted entertainment system with 8-inch screens.

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The Execution

Anyone who's spent time in a Ford F-150 will find the cabin of the Expedition familiar. The biggest difference is the giant center console, which houses a large knob for selecting transmission gears and a smaller one for the drive modes. The Limited and Platinum models are beautifully furnished with switches that feel upscale. Run your hand across the dash, doors and on top of that console, and nearly every surface is well padded. This is a huge step forward from the last Expedition.

It’s no surprise that Ford’s twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 provides potent acceleration. Drive one of these back to back with a Tahoe, and it’s no contest. The Ford has more thrust. And that 10-speed gearbox, combined with the drive modes, allows the Expedition to be in the right gear for every situation. That was particularly clear on a hilly canyon road above the Malibu, California, surf where we tested both trucks. The Ford was able to maintain a quick pace without drama thanks to the turbo’s torque and the transmission’s ability to find the right gear. The Chevy had to work harder, with the V8 revving furiously to keep pace. The Platinum model makes 25 more hp if you fill it with premium fuel. But honestly, it didn’t feel strong enough for us to want that model solely for the extra oomph. Want a real muscle truck? Go for the Lincoln Navigator 450-hp EcoBoost.

The Expedition’s new chassis is a good match for that EcoBoost. The suspension calibration is certainly geared more for ride quality, but with sport mode engaged, the adaptive suspension firmed up somewhat and the transmission became more responsive. And it felt reasonably buttoned down as long as those canyon corners weren’t too tight.

Speaking of weight, we had a chance to tow a 6,500-pound Airstream trailer with an Expedition Max over some steep terrain. Later, we piloted a Chevy Suburban over the same route, towing a 5,500-pound horse trailer. On this exercise, the Expedition had an easier time maintaining speed on the grades, despite towing 1,000 pounds more. In fact, at about half-throttle we could hold 60 mph with relatively low revs in the Expedition. The Suburban on the other hand had a harder time matching that speed and its V8 spent quite a bit of time at the top of the tachometer on that grade. The Expedition certainly had an easier time moving its trailer and did so more quietly, too.

Ford says 20 percent of its Expedition customers go off-road at some point. And that drove them to develop the Expedition’s new FX4 package. On the relatively mild dirt trail Ford made available for testing, the big truck easily handled every obstacle. Only one area did we need to engage both low range and press the button that locks the rear differential. What’s strange is that the Ford comes with this smart, lockable rear differential, but the transfer case itself won’t lock. So even in low range, the system is still proportioning torque from front to rear. On a more difficult trail, that would be a limitation.

Trail capability is likely of less importance to Expedition buyers than interior comfort. And the big Ford provides room for adults and kids in all three rows. When compared to a Tahoe, there’s 2.5 inches more legroom in the rear seat of an Expedition -- and it’s noticeable. The Expedition’s longer wheelbase also allows for longer doors which make it easier to get into and out of those seats. Ford engineered the second row to flip and fold forward to access the third row without having to remove a child’s seat. And once in that third row, it’s totally comfortable for a 6-foot-tall adult. The Tahoe’s higher floor (to clear that solid rear axle) means a third-row passenger’s knees are positioned a little too high for comfort on long trips.

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The Takeaway

The new Expedition is a clear leap forward in terms of refinement, power and capability over the outgoing model. And it finally moves Ford toward the front of the pack in the full-size SUV class itself. The Platinum trim is certainly the plushest of the breed. But go heavy on those options and it’s possible to spec an $85,000 Expedition. That’s not only pricey but it’s also just ten grand away from stepping into fairly loaded Navigator. And for that dough we’ll take the serious horsepower and comfort of the Lincoln.